Here Are The Nominees For The Inaugural Trace Awards & Festival

Global music powerhouse and Afro-music tastemaker Trace has revealed the nominees for the first ever Trace Awards in Africa, a live event & global TV spectacular that celebrates the creativity, talent and influence of African and Afro-inspired music and artists

Taking place on October 21st, at the BK Arena, Kigali, Rwanda, the Trace Awards & Festival will be presented by Visit Rwanda and Martell.

Chairman & Co-Founder of Trace, Olivier Laouchez, “African and African diaspora artists are extraordinarily creative and dynamic. They represent a massive cultural force and deserve more global recognition and celebration. The Trace Awards’ nominations salute achievement and excellence from more than 150 performers, producers, DJs, writers, composers, directors, established artists and rising stars, and their management and labels. We congratulate all the nominees, most of whom will attend and perform in Kigali on 21 October. It will be an unmissable experience for lovers of African and Afro-inspired music.”

From North to South, from East to West, the entire African continent will be represented by its best artists at the Trace Awards, showcasing the excellence and diversity of Afro-centric music in genres such Afrobeat, Dancehall, Hip Hop, Afro-pop, Mbalax, Amapiano, Zouk, Kizomba, Genge, Coupé Décalé, Bongo Flava, Soukous, Gospel, Rap, Rai, Kompa, R&B, and Rumba.

See full list of nominations below:

BEST MALE
Asake (Nigeria)
Burna Boy (Nigeria)
Davido (Nigeria)
Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania)
Didi B (Ivory Coast)
K.O (South Africa)
Rema (Nigeria)

BEST FEMALE
Ayra Starr (Nigeria)
Josey (Ivory Coast)
Nadia Mukami (Kenya)
Soraia Ramos (Cape Verde)
Tiwa Savage (Nigeria)
Viviane Chidid (Senegal)

SONG OF THE YEAR
“BKBN” - Soraia Ramos (Cape Verde)
“People” - Libianca (Cameroon)
“Suavemente” - Soolking (France)
“Encre” - Emma’a (Gabon)
“Sugarcane” - Camidoh (Ghana)
“Last Last” - Burna Boy (Nigeria)
“Rush” - Ayra Starr (Nigeria)
“Calm Down” - Rema (Nigeria)
“Peru” - Fireboy DML (Nigeria) with Ed Sheeran (UK)
“Sete” - K.O (South Africa)
“Cough” - Kizz Daniel (Nigeria)
“MORTEL 06” - Innoss’B (Ivory Coast)

BEST MUSIC VIDEO
“2 Sugar” - Wizkid (Nigeria) feat. Ayra Starr (Nigeria)
“Baddie” - Yemi Alade (Nigeria)
“Kpaflotage” - Suspect 95 (Ivory Coast)
“Loaded” - Tiwa Savage(Nigeria) & Asake (Nigeria)
“Ronda” - Blxckie (South Africa)
“Tombolo” - Kalash (Martinique)
Yatapita” - Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania)

BEST NEWCOMER (SPONSORED BY MAISON MARTELL)
Azawi (Uganda)
Krys M (Cameroon)
Libianca (Cameroon)
Nissi (Nigeria)
Odumodublvck (Nigeria)
Pabi Cooper (South Africa)
Roselyne Layo (Ivory Coast)

BEST COLLABORATION (SPONSORED BY MAISON MARTELL)
“Many Ways” - BNXN (Nigeria) with Wizkid (Nigeria)
“Mine” - Show Dem Camp (Nigeria) with Oxlade (Nigeria)
“Peru” - Fireboy DML (Nigeria) with Ed Sheeran (UK)
“Second Sermon” - Black Sherif (Ghana) with Burna Boy (Nigeria)
“Sete” - K.O (South Africa) with Young Stunna (South Africa), Blxckie (South Africa)
“Stamina” - Tiwa Savage with Ayra Starr (Nigeria) & Young Jonn (Nigeria)
“Trumpet” - Olamide (Nigeria) with Ckay (Nigeria)
“Unavailable” - Davido (Nigeria) with Musa Keys (South Africa)

BEST DJ
Danni Gato (Cape Verde)
DJ BDK (Ivory Coast)
DJ Illans (France)
DJ Spinall (Nigeria)
Michael Brun (Haiti)
Uncle Waffles (Swaziland)

BEST PRODUCER
DJ Maphorisa (South Africa)
Juls (Ghana)
Kabza de Small (South Africa)
Kel-P (Nigeria)
Tamsir (Ivory Coast)

BEST GOSPEL ARTISTS
Benjamin Dube (South Africa)
Janet Otieno (Kenya)
KS Bloom (Ivory Coast)
Levixone (Uganda)
Moses Bliss (Nigeria)

BEST LIVE
Burna Boy (Nigeria)
Fally Ipupa (DRC)
Musa Keys (South Africa)
The Compozers (Nigeria)
Wizkid (Nigeria)
Yemi Alade (Nigeria)

BEST DANCER
Robot Boii (South Africa)
Tayc (France)
Uganda Ghetto Kids (Uganda)
Yemi Alade (Nigeria)
Zuchu (Tanzania)

BEST ARTIST AFRICA - ANGOLPHONE
Asake (Nigeria)
Ayra Starr (Nigeria)
Black Sherif (Ghana)
Davido (Nigeria)
Diamond Platnumz (Tanzania)
Fireboy DML (Nigeria)

BEST ARTIST AFRICA - FRANCOPHONE
Didi B (Ivory Coast)
Emma’a (Gabon)
Fally Ipupa (DRC)
KO-C (Cameroon)
Locko (Cameroon)
Serge Beynaud (Ivory Coast)
Viviane Chidid (Senegal)

BEST ARTIST AFRICA - LUSOPHONE
Gerilson Insrael (Angola)
Lisandro Cuxi (Cape Verde)
Perola (Angola)
Plutonio (Mozambique)
Soraia Ramos (Cape Verde)

BEST ARTIST - RUWANDA
Ariel Wayz (Rwanda)
Bruce Melodie (Rwanda)
Bwiza (Rwanda)
Chriss Eazy (Rwanda)
Kenny Sol (Rwanda)

BEST ARTIST - FRANCE & BELGIUM
Aya Nakamura (France)
Booba (France)
Nihno (France)
Ronisia (France)
Soolking (France)
Tayc (France)

BEST ARTIST - UK
Central Cee (UK)
Headie One (UK)
Ms Banks (UK)
Raye (UK)
Stormzy (UK)

BEST ARTIST - THE CARIBBEAN
Admiral T (Guadeloupe)
Bamby (French Guiana)
Kalash (Martinique)
Maureen (Martinique)
Popcaan (Jamaica)
Princess Lover (Martinique)
Rutshelle Guillaume (Haiti)
Shenseea (Jamaica)

BEST ARTIST - INDIAN OCEAN
Donovan BTS (Mauritius)
GaEi (Madagascar)
Goulam (Comoros)
Mikl (Reunion)
Sega el (Reunion)
Terell Elymoor (Mayotte)

BEST ARTIST - NORTH AFRICA
Amira Zouhair (Morocco)
Artmasta (Tunisia
Dystinct (Morocco
El Grande Toto (Morocco)
Kader Japonais (Algeria)
Raja Meziane (Algeria)

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
“DNK”- Aya Nakamura (France)
“Love Damini” - Burna Boy (Nigeria)
“Maverick” - Kizz Daniel (Nigeria)
“More Love, Less Ego” - Wizkid (Nigeria)
“Timeless” - Davido (Nigeria)
“Work of Art” - Asake (Nigeria)